One Last Time
by IansDestiny
Summary: Severus is forced to leave Hermione, but he has to talk to her One Last Time. After DH, AU and AR. Please read and review. One-shot and complete.


_**One Last Time**_

Hermione Snape smiled as two handsome boys rushed down the stairs towards her, "Slow down you two! Don't forget your father will be home tonight. I want you both back in here before four o'clock, you'll need to clean up and get dressed for dinner."

"We will Mom!" her eldest son Toby cried back to her as they rushed for the kitchen, heading towards the back yard.

Shaking her head she followed after them, watching both boys jump off the back porch and start for their play ground a little ways from the back door. Severus had built it for them to practice their maneuverability and agility, he told Hermione it made them stronger boys to play on that kind of equipment rather than see-saws and slides. It was a proverbial fortress with a rock climbing wall and ropes everywhere. Holding the door open, she cried out to them, "Tobias Wendell Snape, you better keep a sharp eye on your brother Zachary! If I have to mend any broken bones, I'll tell your father!" Both boys turned and looked at her. The two boys waved enthusiastically before sprinting for the playground, climbing quickly up the rock wall facing the back of the house.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she made her way back inside, it had been ten long years since The Dark Lord fell and still he was a soldier through and through. Severus Snape was a wonderful husband and an amazing father. He had been greatly rewarded after the war and taken a position in the Ministry as a supervisor to the Minister himself, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley had requested Severus accompany the Head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation, Mateo Johnston, to the States for a few important meetings regarding the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament. It had taken much coercion for him to agree; not only because of the length of time he would be gone but also because he was forced to leave his wand at the Ministry while he was attending these meetings. The States had very strict rules on magical use in the presence of Muggles and their wands would be held at the Ministry until they returned from their meetings. Severus had been gone for almost a week and it was driving her insane not having him home.

Picking up the dishes from her lunch with the boys, she started to run the faucet in the sink to wash up the few plates before she started making dinner. She knew he would be flying back with the Mr. Johnston to the States Ministry of Magic from two meetings; one in Washington, D.C. with the current President of the United States and from there traveling to the Salem Academy for Wizards and Witches. The Academy was to be the location for this year Tri Wizard Tournament. Once they returned to the Ministry they would take a port key home, arriving hopefully in time for supper. Looking at the clock she smiled, it was only a short time before her husband would be home and her family whole once more.

Just as she began to wash the first plate, the shrill sound of her telephone caught her attention. Grabbing for the dishcloth, Hermione picked up the phone and held it with her shoulder as she dried off her hands, "Hello?" She said cheerily as she waved to her son through the window above the sink, she could hear heavy breathing on the other end and started to worry. "Hello?"

"Hermione…" The deep drawl was more like a whisper prayer to her. She turned around from the kitchen window and set her towel down slowly, she didn't expect to hear from her husband for another few hours. "Sev? What's going on?"

The silence hung heavy for what seemed like hours until Severus answered her, "I won't be coming home Hermione…I'm sorry." She heard him swallow and take another deep breath.

"What?" Hermione asked, her confusion clear in her voice, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry love," Severus replied his voice cracking slightly. "I wanted to call and tell you myself before you heard it from someone else."

"Sev, this…this can't be happening," Hermione shook her head as tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes. "What am I supposed to do…I can't handle losing you." Gripping the phone tightly in one hand, she used the other to support herself as she starred out the window at their boys playing.

Severus sighed heavily on the other end of the line, "I just had to call and say good bye, one last time."

Fresh tears flowed freely down her cheeks, she didn't know what was going on but at his words she could feel her heart breaking. He continued on, "Love…there are some things in this life that are out of our control. Like, who you fall in love with and when…and when it's time to go."

Hermione interrupted him, "But what about the plans we had!" She cried out near hysterical at this point.

"This connection is getting bad, love," He told her softly and smiled sadly, "Come on…let me here you smile; one last time?"

"I'm so sorry Severus! Please, oh gods don't leave me." She cried out to him, gripping the phone tightly now as if it was her only connection left with him. "I…" sobbed into the phone, "I would have loved you better, if only I'd known…"

Fighting past the lump in his throat he replied, "Hermione…you were the perfect wife. More than a man like me could have ever dreamed of: ever deserved." He closed his eyes and pictured her beautiful face the last time he'd seen her, "Promise me..." he started to say and then choked up slightly before he recovered then continued, "Promise me you'll go on with your life?"

Through the tears she looked up through the window at the two boys playing in the backyard, completely oblivious to the horror happening inside, "But…but Sev, what about the boys? They won't understand, I told them you were coming home tonight." She sobbed out closing her eyes to the pain in her chest, her heart was breaking into a thousand little pieces right before her eyes. As each horrible second past, she was finding it harder to breathe.

"Tell them…" Severus kept looking straight forward, every memory since his boys were born flashed before his eyes. "Tell them Daddy loves them, and to be strong!"

Hermione slumped against the counter and broke down crying. This wasn't how life was supposed to be. They had sacrificed, struggled and lost so much in the war against Voldemort; they deserved to be happy. They shouldn't have to hurt anymore, they earned their peace. She heard him on the other line as he said, "Love…I've gotta go."

Her eyes went wide and she started shaking her head, "Don't you dare hang up! There's…there's so many things I need to say!" She said frantically her mind racing, the only clear thing that came to mind she blurted out, "I love you soo much!" The silence on the line was deafening, it was almost like she felt him leave. "SEVERUS! Can you still hear me?!?"

Her body collapsed to the kitchen floor at the sound of the dial tone, clutching the phone to her chest; her entire body was racked with heart breaking sobs.

Severus lowered the receiver from his ear as he watched the scene play out before him; the ground clearly visible through the windshield of the small charter plane. Directions were being shouted into the intercom from both frantic pilots, both pulling hard on the steering column trying to pull the plane out of the dive..

A/N: I own nothing pertaining to HP, JKR or Dusty Drake's lyrics. I borrowed them purely for entertainment purposes. The lyrics are from Dusty Drake's song, "One Last Time." I heard this song and it broke my heart. I thought it would be a great song for this pairing. This is another in my Song Fic Series. Please read and review, tell me what you think! I hope to have the song available to listen to because it really adds to the story being able to listen to the song as you read it. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Leave love or hate for reviews just let me know what I'm doing right and wrong!

Always,

Lady

When she picked up the telephone,  
His voice came on the line.  
She said: "This can't be happening,"  
An' tears fell from her eyes.  
She said: "What am I supposed to do?  
"I can't handle losin' you."  
He said: "I just had to call to say goodbye,  
"One last time."

He said: "There are some things in this life,  
"That are out of our control.  
"Like who we fall in love with,  
And when it's time to go."  
An' she said: "What about the plans we had?"  
He said: "This connection's gettin' bad."  
"Now c'mon baby, let me hear you smile,  
One last time."

She started to apologize,  
For all the things that she'd done wrong.  
She said: "I would have loved you better.  
If only I'd known."  
He said: "You were the perfect wife:  
Promise me you'll go on with your life."  
She said: "The boys won't understand."  
He said: "Tell 'em Daddy loves 'em and, be strong, whoa."

He said: "Honey, I've gotta go."  
She said: "Don't you dare hang up.  
There's so many things I need to say.  
I love you so much."  
It was almost like she felt him leave.  
She cried out: "Can you still hear me?"  
She fell down on the kitchen floor,  
When the signal died,  
As the pilot tried to pull out of the dive.  
One last...


End file.
